Responsible Wood maintains comprehensive databases to ensure easy access to relevant information about certificate holders, logo & label users, certified products, accredited certification bodies, and PEFC – endorsed national certification schemes
We all know that forests are wonderful places. They are a precious living resource that provides food, heat, energy, medicine, timber, paper and a variety of products; they promote biodiversity by giving habitats and shelter; they are an integral part of the water and carbon cycles; and they have a fundamental role in regulating the climate.
Forests are rich in species compared to other ecosystems, providing habitats for more than half of terrestrial species, including our own unique Australian fauna. They also provide water for many of our rivers, helping to secure the quality and purity of what we drink and use every day.
Forests are also of significant economic importance; the forest sector contributes more than AUD$580 billion to the global economy. In Australia, the forest and wood manufacturing industries generate more than AU$23.5 billion a year and employ an estimated 64,000 Australians*.
An enabler of sustainability
Certification is the tool to verify that a forest is sustainably managed and to connect the consumer with the sustainable origins of their products.
As well as providing assurance of sustainable practices, forest certification also acts as an enabler of sustainability. It empowers consumers and companies to choose sustainably-sourced products, thereby allowing us to reward responsible forest owners and creating an incentive for uncertified forest owners to obtain certification.
This means all of us interested in safeguarding forests – responsible businesses, public authorities, organisations and consumers alike – can use our purchasing power to support the sustainable management of Australia’s forests.